Alice In Vamp Land
by FreddyGeorge
Summary: Alice is just a normal girl who hates the way BtVS ends... until she winds up in Sunnydale. There's a prophecy (when isn't there?) and suddenly she's got a Destiny with a capital 'D'. Can she change the way things end? Can she save Sunnydale and save the ones who weren't supposed to die? Read and find out.
1. Sucked into Sunnyhell

A/N

This is basically about a fan of BtVS getting sucked into their world, and changing things in the series. Starts right after 4x08 "Pangs" and goes _WAY_ AU.

Disclaimer: All characters, not of my own creation, are credited to the makers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am not making any money off of this story, simply using it as a creative way to blow off steam and fill my spare time.

* * *

Alice in Vamp Land

Alice pressed pause, the image freezing on the face of her favorite vamp in the series, and looked over at her friend Claire in disgust.

"Can you believe how they treat Spike?! He was freaking kidnapped and held by the Initiative guys, they shoved a chip in his brain, and now he can't do what his base instincts are telling him to do! And stupid Buffy and her friends still treat him like crap!"

"I know right?!" Claire replied. "They're so mean to him!"

Alice shook her head, looking angry. "The writers shouldn't have made it go like this, Spike deserves so much better! You know, sometimes I wish..." she trailed off.

"What?" Claire asked, struggling to keep her voice even. She was excited, close to completing her mission. She stared intently at Alice, with her brown hair and eyes, so dark that they almost looked black, and nodded at her in encouragement.

"It's stupid, but sometimes I wish that I could go to their world. You know, in season four before everything goes to shit. Then I could try to change it to how it should be." She snorted and looked down at her hands, worried that her new friend would think she was weird, "pretty dumb huh?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Claire said, sighing with relief. "Not when you know someone who can make it happen." Alice looked up, confusion on her face, and reared back when her friend's face shifted, becoming veiny and mottled. "Your wish is my command," Claire said with a smile, and then the room darkened, the sunny day outside disappearing.

"What the hell is going on?!" Alice asked, flinching when a loud clap of thunder sounded. She whipped her head around, looking out the window at the sky, now covered with thick black clouds. When she turned back to Claire, the girl had vanished. Alice watched in terror as the room started to spin, going faster and faster until her world blurred around her. She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her hands to the side of her head.

Suddenly, everything was still. Absolutely still, except for the sound of crickets chirping around her. She opened her eyes, and took in her surroundings. She was standing on a sidewalk in a town that looked oddly familiar. _What the actual shit is going on? And when did it get night?_

She started walking, confused and scared, not knowing how she got here. She jumped when she heard a bottle skitter across the ground behind her and glanced over her shoulder. She didn't see anything that caused the noise which made her even more nervous. She walked faster, not knowing where she was going but wanting to get away. _Where the hell is everyone?_ she thought. _I mean this seems like a pretty crappy town but you'd think there would be_ someone _outside._ She heard footsteps behind her and she spun around, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion when she saw that the street was empty.

"Hello?" she called. "Seriously?" she asked herself out loud, "cause the psycho stalker is really gonna announce himself and say 'oh, you caught me, now I can't kill you!'?" She shook her head and turned around, telling her feet to move. The footsteps started up again, the pace quickening along with her's.

"Oh, screw this!" she said, taking off running. She could feel the panic rising as the steps got louder and she heard a vicious snarl. A hard body slammed into her back, knocking her to the ground, forcing the air out of her lungs. She was flipped over roughly and stared into the face of a huge guy sporting a cruel smile.

"It's a bad idea to be out here alone honey," he growled. "You never know what might be lurking."

"Let go of me!" Alice shouted. "Help!" she screamed into the night. "Get this psycho off me!" She thrashed around, trying to throw him off but he held her with an iron grip.

"Aww, you poor thing," he said with a chuckle, "You should know that no one comes to help in this town." He leaned down, lowering his voice and whispering in her ear. "That's why I like it so much." He pulled back and her eyes widened when she saw his face, covered with ridges, his eyes yellow, and his teeth sharpened. He looked at her with a face that she had seen a million times as it stared out at her from her TV screen.

"No!" she said, shaking her head. "You're not real!"

The vampire smirked at her, "now, whatever gave you that idea?" He yanked her head to the side, leaning down and sinking his fangs into her throat. _Just my luck,_ she thought, absentmindedly as she became light headed, _I land myself in the one place I've always wanted to visit and now I'm gonna die before I can enjoy it._

The edges of her vision started to blur and suddenly the weight was ripped of her. She groaned and shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind, rising weakly on her elbows to see what was happening. The creature was locked in combat with a blur of black clothes and blonde hair, the pair rolling on the ground like animals. The fight was over quickly, the vampire turning to dust as the blonde rose to his feet, turning and walking over to her side, and offering his hand. She took it, her eyes wide, and he helped her climb to her feet.

"You ok?" he asked.

"I-I think so," Alice replied, staring with her mouth open.

"Ok, have nice night," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait!" she said loudly.

"Not lookin' to stick around luv." he said over his shoulder, "Got things to do… baddies to kill." He kept walking, a swagger in his step.

"Spike!" she called and he stopped dead in his tracks. He turned and fixed her with a suspicious gaze.

"Do I know you?" he asked.

"No," Alice replied, "b-but I know you… kind of… I guess."

"Look, I ain't in the mood to play games. Who're you and how'd you know my name?"

She let out a sound of disbelief, "Ok, I'm gonna sound crazy for a minute but I need you to humor me. This is Sunnydale right?" she asked, gesturing at the city around her.

"...Yeah," he said, speaking slowly and nodding his head like he was talking to a child. "You lose a bit too much blood there sweetheart?"

"No… well yes… probably," She waved her hand, "Nevermind, I'm fine. Ok, next stupid question. What year is this?"

"Uh… 1999?"

"...Holy shit," she said, in a shaky voice, bending a slightly to place her hands on her knees.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, looking at her like she had grown a second head.  
"I don't even know dude," she began, straightening back up, "but right now I need to talk to Willow, or Giles, or someone who can mojo me out of Crazyville USA. So are you going to take me to them, or are you just gonna keep staring?"

"...Who are you?" he asked, voice full of confusion.

"My name's Alice, and apparently I'm… stuck… in a… TV show." Her words slowed down as her situation finally caught up with her. She was stuck in TV land, she almost died, and she didn't know how the fuck she was gonna get home. She started to panic, her breath coming in short, fast bursts, her vision blurring and narrowing down to a tunnel.

Spike put his hands on her shoulders, "Woah, are you ok? Breathe, luv, breathe."

She took one last look at him, realizing that one of her favorite fictional characters was standing in front of her, and feinted, dropping to the ground like a bag of sand.

"Bollix!" Spike said. He thought about leaving her there but realized that if he did, she'd probably end up getting killed. Plus she seemed to know a lot about all of them and he wanted to know why. Sighing, he lifted her into his arms and took off down the street to the Watcher's house, his coat billowing out behind him. When he got there, he shifted the girl so he could knock on the door, which opened to reveal a disgruntled looking Giles, the shock registering on his face as saw what the vampire was holding.

"You should call the Scoobies, Watcher," Spike said gruffly "We got a problem."

* * *

When Alice woke up, her head felt fuzzy. She opened her eyes and looked around, wondering where she was for a moment before the memories came flooding back. She bolted upright when she heard raised voices from the people around her and she groaned when a stab of pain went through her head. They immediately fell silent and she looked around, shrinking back a little when she realized that they were looming over her, staring. All of them… the whole Scooby gang, complete with Willow, Xander, Anya, Buffy, Giles, and Spike. She sat with her back straight against the couch she had been laying on, her eyes wide. They were all staring at her and she ducked her head, not liking all the eyes on her.

"Are you alright?" Giles asked. At the same time, Buffy asked who she was, Xander asked what she was doing here, and Willow asked what was going on. She flinched away from them. They were too close, there were too many voices, and way too many sets of eyes observing her critically. She glanced around frantically and she could feel panic crawling its way up her throat. Everyone took a step closer, looking at her worriedly. She knew that she should say something, try to figure out what was going on, but she couldn't. Her eyes finally locked onto Spike who was standing in the corner with his arms folded across his chest. She was breathing too raggedly to speak but willed him to understand.

"Bloody hell," he grumbled and stepped forward, "everybody back."

"What? Why?" Buffy asked, not willing to do as he said.

"She's having a bloody panic attack cause you lot are all crowding and staring at her like she's in a damn zoo, so back… off." He fixed them with a stormy glare.

They reluctantly did what he said, almost everyone retreated across the room but Buffy stood a few feet away observing him with suspicion. Spike knelt down in front of Alice.

"What do you think you're doing?" Buffy asked in a sharp tone. He ignored the Slayer and took Alice's hands in his, looking into her eyes, speaking in a low tone.

"Hey, it's ok. They've all gone away, ignore them, pet. Focus on my voice. Breathe. You're safe now." He took a deliberate breath in through his nose and blew it out through his mouth. He took a couple more until she started to mirror him. He moved his thumbs in comforting circles on the back of her hands as everyone's mouths fell open at what was taking place.

When she had herself under control, she looked at them sheepishly.

"Sorry," she said, "I'm just a little freaked out."

"It's quite alright," Giles said.

"I'm fine now, you can come back. Just... maybe sit down so there's not a bunch of people standing over me?"

"Sure," he said. They all spread to different positions. Spike sat down on the couch next to her, making sure to give her space. Giles and Buffy perched in the chairs across from her and the others scattered around the room.

"So, do you think you could shed some light on this situation?" the Watcher asked, "Spike didn't tell us much other than you were attacked and weren't making much sense but wanted to see us."

"Although, I seriously doubt he brought you here out of the goodness of his heart," Buffy interjected, sneering at the vampire.

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean?" Spike asked, his voice full of indignation.

"I'm saying that you always have a nasty plan, you don't just go around helping people, it's not in your nature-"

"Hey shut up!" Alice said, her fear forgotten as she became irritated at the way they always treated the vampire. "He did save me! He could have left me after I passed out but he didn't. He just stopped a fucking panic attack, which nobody in my _life_ has been able to do. He's saved your ungrateful asses more than once, and despite all that, you still treat him like crap! He's not your whipping boy, stop acting like he is!" She realized that she had moved between them and Spike, standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at them and she felt a blush rise in her cheeks as she sat back down. She glanced around and saw that everyone was staring at her with disbelief. Spike seemed the most shocked, his mouth hanging open.

"You're gonna catch flies in there," she teased lightly and he snapped his mouth shut with a click of his teeth.

"Ok, we'll discuss that at a later date. Can you tell what has happened?" the Watcher asked.

Alice turned her attention back to Giles. "This is gonna sound insane. Hell I'm not even sure that I'm not just on some bad acid trip!" She took a calming breath and ran a hand through her short hair.

"s' allright," Spike said, "just… start from the beginning."

"Ok, well first of all, my name's Alice gray… and I'm not from this world. Or this time. In my world, all of this," she gestured around her and gave a breathy, disbelieving laugh, "It's a TV show."

"A… TV show? You're serious?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, it's one of my favorites. Called Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

The Slayer's face brightened, "They named it after me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, you're _so_ not my favorite character," Alice said, rolling her eyes, pleased when Buffy looked slightly deflated by her words and the vampire gave a short bark of laughter.

"Wait, there's no way that this isn't real," Xander said, "I mean, I'm real. We're real. How do we know that you're not lying to us?"

Alice sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose, she had never liked Xander, "Your middle name is Lavelle. In season one, you got possessed by a weird hyena spirit thing and tried to get into Buffy's pants." he paled considerably, bringing a smile to her face as she continued, "Anya is an ex vengeance demon who lost her powers after granting Cordelia's wish that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. She lost them when Giles from the alternate reality smashed her power center, which was a really pretty, square, green necklace thing." Anya looked impressed. Alice turned her attention to Willow, "Anya recruited you to help her get her powers back but you accidently summoned your alter ego from the other world. She was a vampire who liked to wear a lot of leather, and she was a little bit gay." She looked off with a wistful expression, "Damn… she was hot." Willow looked uncomfortable and played with her fingers nervously. She shook her head to clear it, "Giles, when you were in your twenties, you dropped out of Oxford and moved to London. You took on the moniker of 'Ripper', you partied with black magic, and you summoned demons that would posses you so that you could get high. Oh, and your accent was more like Spike's. It was very interesting."

Spike whistled appreciatively, "I didn't know you had it in you Watcher. I'm slightly impressed."

Giles started to stammer, "Yes… well… I… uh… it was a weird time-"

"Not done yet," Alice interrupted, holding up a finger and turning to the Slayer, "In season two, you slept with Angel, accidently turning him into Angelus. Which, you know, I don't actually care about because I never liked him anyway. Too damn broody, plus he left so you could have a 'normal life' which is a joke." The Slayer looked pissed. Alice turned to Spike, "Before you were turned, you were an upper class, refined, Victorian gentleman who wrote poetry. You were actually more like how Giles is now. Oh, by the way, Cecily was a bitch, you deserved better." If vampires could blush, Alice was pretty sure that he would be doing it right now. "You were very cute."

"That's enough of that," Spike said sternly, " and I'm not cute."

"Well not anymore. Now you're hot," Alice replied, matter-of-factly.

After her speech, Willow was the first to find her voice. "So… um… now that we're pretty sure that you're telling the truth… why were you looking for us?"

"I need to get back to my world. I mean, I like the show but I'm not lookin' to spend the rest of my life in Vamps R' Us. And to do that, I think I actually need Anya."

"What? What do I have to do with it?" the ex-demon asked, confused.

"Well I met this girl in my class a couple weeks ago. She just showed up out of the blue so I just figured she was a transfer. She told me she was an engineering major like me, so we got to talking and discovered that we both liked the show. Right before I got zapped here, we were sitting on my couch, watching reruns, when I expressed a desire to… Go to your world and… change how the series ended."

Anya went pale "You made a wish, didn't you?"

Alice nodded sheepishly, "In my defence, vengeance demons aren't supposed to exist!"

The ex-demon sighed, "What was her name?"

"Well I don't know if it's her real name but she said it was Claire."

"Clairebelle," Anya said with a roll of her eyes.

"Can you summon her?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, it shouldn't be a problem," Anya replied.

Alice let out a yawn, her eyelids felt heavy and she was still weak from the attack.

"well what do you need, could you perform the ritual now?" Giles continued. The only one that noticed her exhaustion was the blonde vampire.

"Uh, Watcher?"

"Not now Spike!" the man replied, harshly.

Spike waited a second, listening to them make plans, the irritation building until he let out a loud whistle, making everyone jump.

"You might not care ever so much at this point, but the girl's lost a lot of blood and it's gettin' late. She's about to pass out where she sits. Maybe we should do this tomorrow."

"Oh yes, of course," Giles said, turning to the Slayer, "do you think you could take her home with you? Since I've got Spike staying here, I'd feel better if she were somewhere safe."

"No!" came Alice's voice, forcefully, her eyes snapping open, "Out of all of you, he's the one I actually trust." she felt several sets of eyes swivel towards her, wearing identical expressions of shock, no one more so than the vampire in question.

"But… what?" Xander spluttered. "He's a cold blooded killer!"

"I have more knowledge on the subject than you do," she said, regarding him in a cool tone. "I'll be happy to tell you all about it… tomorrow. Until then, I'm staying wherever he is. If you try to force me, I'll just sneak out and come back here anyway."

"Fine," Buffy said, throwing her hands up in frustration, "you wanna sleep down the hall from a murderer, that's your choice. I'm going home."

They all scattered after that, going their separate ways until there was no one but Alice, Giles, and Spike left. The Watcher led her to his guest room and set her up with blankets and pillows. Alice laid down and resisted the urge to climb out of bed and yell at Giles when she heard him chaining up Spike in the bathroom. The two traded barbs and she gritted her teeth at the harsh words directed at the vampire.

* * *

She was awoken in the middle of the night by chains rattling down the hall. She got out of bed and quietly approached, peaking into the room. Spike was laying in the tub, the angle of his head on the hard edge making her wince as he tossed and turned in his sleep, trying to get comfortable. She walked back to her room, grabbed a pillow and returned, gently lifting his head to place it underneath, taking care not to wake him. As soon as she let his head go, he stopped moving, settling into a deep sleep. She nodded in satisfaction and returned to bed.


	2. Prophecies and Fangs

A/N:

This is NOT going to be a Spike/OC fic! Sorry, but I'm planning for Alice and Willow to be together and I really like Spuffy so soon I will be starting to move the story in that direction. I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed but this fic is already gonna be really long.

Disclaimer: All characters, not of my own creation, are credited to the makers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am not making any money off of this story, simply using it as a creative way to blow off steam and fill my spare time.

* * *

The next day at around three o'clock, she was jolted out of sleep by the sound of yelling.

"How the hell did you get out of your chains?!" came Giles' voice.

"I bloody didn't you stupid wanker! And if I did, you really think I would free myself, grab a pillow, and chain myself back up?!"

"Well I don't know what you have going through that despicable brain of yours!"

Alice jumped out of bed and raced down the hall, skidding to a stop in the doorway. "Hey!" she said loudly, causing them both to jump, "you!" she pointed a finger at Giles, "Cut it out! I'm the one who gave him the damn pillow. You wanna get pissed at someone, try me!" Her hands were fisted at her sides and she was practically snarling by the time she was done. "Now unchain him, we got work to do," she said, spinning on her heel and marching into the living room. She busied herself to try and calm down, moving to twitch the curtains closed, and then moving into the kitchen. By the time they emerged from the hall, she had located the bagged blood and poured some into a mug, placing it into the microwave. They stood at the kitchen counter, they're mouths agape. She pulled the mug out and placed it in front of Spike, reaching up to dig in the cabinets for the Burba Weed and setting the container of it down next to the blood.

"Gives it a hot and spicy flavor," she said with a shrug, "You figure it out in a couple seasons."

"Thank's," the vampire said, voice tinged with surprise. "Usually, they don't even warm it up for me."

"Oh, trust me… I know," she said, shooting the Watcher a glare and addressing him next. "You're from England, do you like iced tea?"

"What? No, iced tea is practically sacrilege!" Giles replied.

"Then why is it ok to give him cold blood?" she asked, an edge to her voice.

The man looked at his hands sheepishly and the edges of Spike's mouth twitched into a smirk.

She turned to Spike, "Do you have any cigarettes? It's why I'm a little bitchy."

The vampire chuckled, pulling the pack out of his pocket and passing it to her along with a lighter.

"There's no smoking in my flat," Giles said.

"Then how is Spike supposed to smoke? He can't go outside," she asked him with a challenge in her voice.

"Well then, he can wait till the sun goes down."

"Really?" she said, her mouth forming a tight smile, "you keep him cooped up with all this hostility for roughly twelve hours a day, without nicotine, and you wonder why he has a bad attitude? _I'd_ be ready to kill you." She placed a cigarette between her lips and lit it, then passed it to the vampire who was trying to contain his laughter. She lit her own and took a satisfying drag before Spike couldn't control his mirth any longer and burst out laughing.

"I like this bird!" he said when he had calmed down.

"You would," Giles said, irritated, "she's the only one who likes you."

Alice shot him a quelling look and he quieted, moving around the kitchen to make breakfast while she took a seat next to Spike.

"Why _are_ you bein' nice to me?" the vampire asked.

"All will be revealed in time," she said, mysteriously. "Let's just say that I know you better than they do. I would explain now, but there are some people that need a piece of my mind and I wanna wait till they get here."

"Well, then can you at least tell me why you gave me the pillow? I'm a vampire, most would just assume I could be comfy anywhere."

"Well you were moving around with the edge of the tub digging into your head," she said with a shrug, "I don't care how immortal you are, that looked like it hurt."

"Well thanks… again," he replied, pleased with her answer.

The door swung open, causing the vampire to jerk to the side, avoiding the sun as the group from the night before came filing in. Spike chuckled inwardly when Alice's hand fluttered self consciously to her hair and straightened her clothes as she saw Willow and Anya come in, their arms full of supplies.

"Are you ready to perform the summoning?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, we'll be set up in about fifteen minutes," the redhead replied.

They went to work and Alice sat down on the couch. Xander tried to sit down next to her and she flinched away, "Nope," she said motioning for him to go away, "not gonna happen, it feels weird."

"What do you mean it 'feels weird'?" Giles asked, going into research mode.

"I can't explain it, I just don't feel comfortable with you guys being near me."

"Interesting," he said, "Xander, go stand over there," he motioned to the other side of the room. The boy rose, grumbling, and did as he was told.

"Spike," the Watcher said, "sit on the couch."

"Giles, what are you doing?!" Buffy asked sharply.

"I'm conducting an experiment," he responded sternly, "Spike?"

The vampire shrugged and crossed from his spot on the wall to sit down next to her. She sighed in relief, the tension that she was so familiar with leaving her body.

"How do you feel now?" Giles asked.

"I don't know… calm, relaxed." she replied, scooting over to the vampire and leaning into his side.

"Not usually the feelings I inspire in people, pet," Spike said, confused.

Buffy scoffed, "Yeah, usually it's just disgust and annoyance," she raised an eyebrow at Alice when the girl let out a low growl, but ignored her and continued, "What is this little 'experiment' supposed to accomplish Giles?"

"No idea, but it seems like there's a bit more than meets the eye with this whole situation," he replied. "How do you feel around people in general? The ones in your world for example?"

"Uneasy. The weirdest thing is that," she gestured to how she was sitting, "I don't like to be touched. But around Spike, it's like I've known him my life. Like a brother or a best friend."

"Huh," Giles said with a small frown.

"We're ready to go," Willow called from her spot in the dining area. The group gathered around the circle she had drawn on the floor and quieted as she began to chant, the Latin phrases flowing smoothly from her mouth. The lights flickered and they shuddered as they felt energy rising around them. Lights appeared in the center of the circle and began to swirl, going faster and faster until they suddenly coalesced into a solid form. Alice's eyes widened as she saw the black haired, blue eyed figure that she knew as Claire.

"You rang?" the demon asked with a smirk.

"What the hell dude?" Alice said, her hands on her hips, "I thought you were my friend and you zapped me into Sunnyhell?!"

"I am your friend Alice," Claire said with a sigh, "There are some things that you need to know, and I knew you wouldn't believe me so I figured a little show and tell was in order."

"Ok, then explain," Alice said, gesturing for her to go ahead, "I'm listening."

"You belong here," she began, "you were meant to be in this world. You're the one who was supposed to help stop the things that we know are going to happen."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Buffy asked, "stop what from happening?"

"The cluster fuck that happens in a few years. The literal hole in the ground that this town becomes. All the death and the pain," Claire said and shuddered, "Alice is the one who's supposed to stop it."

"You mean The First?" Alice asked, "how am I supposed to stop it? And I'm _not_ supposed to be here. I'm just a college student who likes animals and machines more than people. You're not making any sense."

"Think about your past," Claire encouraged, "what was it like?"

"I… I was abandoned at a hospital when I was six months old. No note, or birth certificate. Just a baby blanket with the name 'Alice' on it."

"Yeah," Claire said, "then you bounced from home to home, never got adopted, never stayed in one place for more than a year. Why do you think that you never stayed?"

Alice glanced around at the faces around the room, becoming angry at the looks of pity they gave her. She straightened, set her mouth in a grim line, and continued. "I just didn't fit in. I was weird, I didn't click with people, and they always seemed… put off by me."

"That's because you didn't belong in that dimension," Claire told her, "in that place where your real home was reduced to a snapshot on a TV screen. The First's minions didn't know what might happen if they just killed you outright, so they took you from your home after a seer told of your importance and they transported you to the other world. By the time anyone figured out what had happened, the whole crap shoot had already gone down. I was sent to find you, bring you home, and get the future back on track."

Alice sank down onto a chair and lowered her head into her hands, running her fingers through her hair.

"You're telling us that this young woman is meant to save the world?" Giles asked, doubt in his voice. "From what I can tell, she has no supernatural powers or magic. The only thing that I've noticed is a strange reaction to Spike of all people."

"Oi!, what d'you mean 'of all people'?" the vampire asked, indignantly.

"I'm saying that beings who save the world are paragons of good. She shouldn't want to be anywhere near you," Giles said.

"Idiot!" Claire exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention, "when will you realize that the world is not black and white, good versus evil. If you start to think like that, all is lost before the battle begins. Sometimes demons can be good and humans can be evil. The world is in shades of grey Watcher. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can succeed."

Giles looked disgruntled at the demon.

"Still," Buffy spoke up, "how is she supposed to stop this big bad? Is she supposed to help me or something?"

"Actually Slayer, _you're_ supposed to help _her_ in this little venture. She's center stage on this one."

Buffy face was one of shock and disbelief, "but like Giles said, she's a human, how's she gonna do anything?"

Alice felt rage bubble up inside her and began to rise to her feet, halting when Spike placed his hand on her arm. She glanced at him and he shook his head slightly. She sat back down and took a deep breath, tilting her head side to side, cracking her neck.

Claire smiled as the other's eyes went to Alice, wearing identical expressions of confusion at the connection Spike shared with the odd human, and then swiveled back to her as she continued. "That's because she's not supposed to be human," she said and Alice's eyes shot up to her face and narrowed.

"Uh… say what now?" the girl asked.

"She's a Natural?" Giles asked with alarm.

"Wha-what's 'Natural'?" Willow asked him curiously.

"A human who is fated to become a supernatural creature," Giles said. "For example, vengeance demons are Naturals. The desire for justice and retribution is ingrained from birth until they reach age and are given their demonic powers."

"So… what the hell am I supposed to be?" Alice asked.

Claire locked eyes with her, "think about it kiddo," she prompted, "you're morally flexible, you've had to fight violent impulses as far back as you can remember," Alice looked away nervously and started playing with her hands when she said this. "You feel that guilt is an unnecessary emotion because it makes you weak. And most telling, of course… you hate sunlight."

Spike's head snapped up, "She's meant to be a vampire? This girl? But she's all sweet and kind! She gave me a bloody pillow cause she thought I was uncomfortable, and heated up my blood for me without even flinching!"

"No, she's sweet and kind to those she finds _worthy,_ " Claire said, meaningfully, turning to Alice. "You ever wonder why he's your favorite? Why you feel so much empathy for him? Why you get so pissed when they treat him badly?"

"Wait, wait, _us_ treat _him_ badly?!" Xander chimed in.

Claire ignored him and continued, "Spike and you have what's called an Amicus Bond. A really strong one too. It was trying to manifest across dimensions."

"Dear lord," Giles exclaimed.

"What? What's an Amicus Bond?" Willow asked.

"It's a bond of partnership or friendship. When two beings are assigned to each other by the Powers That Be through an Amicus Bond, they will feel fiercely protective of one another, loyal, empathetic, often sharing physical strengths and abilities. The Bond is usually formed between two powerful beings who are fairly volatile, in order to allow them to focus and reign each other in to accomplish a common goal."

"Ok… puttin' a pin in that to deal with later," Spike began, "if she becomes a vampire, she loses her soul."

"Wrong again," Claire said smugly, "she was always meant to be a vampire. She's neutral, neither good nor evil. Because of this when she receives a demon, said demon will not be in conflict with her existing soul. She'll have to deal with the bloodlust but other than that, she'll be the same person but with all the perks of being a vamp."

"But if she's not good or evil, then doesn't that mean that she's already dangerous?" the Watcher asked.

"Hey!" Alice cried.

Claire rolled her eyes, "I've already told you. The world is not in black and white. Our dear Alice simply does not take sides. She is meant to maintain balance. For that matter, so is Spike."

"No, I'm evil all the way!" Spike said, indignation rising in his voice.

"Sweetheart, you've just been allowing yourself to indulge in the darker parts of your nature until your Bond Mate came along. Let me guess, about nineteen years ago, you stopped killing as much? You only hunted for food instead of just because you could."

Spike glared at her, "Maybe."

Claire smiled, "That was your nature realizing that your Bond Mate had been born. Your nature then shifted, in order to make you more receptive to the bond."

"We are not feeding a human to a vampire so that she can become one of the evil dead! It's not gonna happen!" Buffy said loudly.

"Could you can the self-righteousness long enough to listen to reason Slayer?" Claire asked, folding her arms, "This is the way things are supposed to be. She is a vampire trapped in a human's body."

"Yeah, but she's still human. How can you be sure that she doesn't end up turning dark side?" Xander chimed in. Alice noticed that Anya had started to look fidgety.

"Because she'll still be her! _Her_ personality, _her_ feelings, and _her_ decision to be good. Just like everyone and every _thing_ else in this world!" the demon shot back.

"Not if she's a monster! She'll kill people and she won't feel remorse about it cause that's what monsters do!"

"Hey!" Alice shouted, jumping to her feet, "human in question talking here!" They all turned to face her. "First of all, before you dig yourself a deeper hole Xander, I think I should point out something important about your little group dynamic thing you've got goin'." They looked at her expectantly, Spike stepping back to lean against the wall so he could enjoy the show. "Xander, you're saying that, in order to be not a monster, you have to feel regret about bad things that you do right? That's what a 'soul' does."

"Well, yeah, that's the point of being human and having a soul in the first place."

Alice snorted and turned her gaze to the ex-demon that was looking more upset by the second. "Anya, how old are you?"

"Eleven hundred and twenty," she replied.

"And how many people have you killed?" Xander's eyes snapped to his girlfriend.

"I lost count after the first couple of thousand," she said in a quiet voice.

"And do you feel any remorse for killing all those people in ways that, I assume, were varied and imaginative?"

Anya locked eyes with her boyfriend, "No. I don't." Xander looked shocked.

"So," Alice continued, "Xander, I need you to summon up all that righteous indignation and cheerleader for humanity crap, and ask yourself a question. Does your girlfriend have a soul?" Xander stared at her. "And is that, possibly nonexistent, soul the only reason you love her? Because, if that's the case, I think she deserves better."

Xander's expression turned stormy and he stomped out of the house.

The rest of the group was quiet for a minute, eyes darting between her, Anya, and the door, trying to make sense of what just happened.

"God, that was satisfying. Second of all," she continued, feeling pleased with herself, "I would love to be a vampire. I mean really? I'm a nerd, do you seriously think I'm just gonna be happy with dying before I could see the world come up with faster than light travel?" Willow snorted with laughter then fell silent, trying to stay serious.

Buffy was the first to find her voice, "I don't care how much you wanna see the future! We're still not gonna just sit back and let a human get turned into a monster!" she said.

"Oh, bloody hell! 'Round and 'round it goes, where it stops, nobody knows," Spike said, frustrated.

"How about you shut up and leave the discussion for the humans?" Buffy replied.

"How 'bout you make me Slayer?" he shot back, pushing himself off the wall. Buffy stalked over to him and came up short when Alice jumped in between them.

"Don't you dare!" she snarled. "At this point, he can't fight back, and you know it. If you do anything…" her mouth twisted into a cruel smile, "you're no better than the demons you hunt."

Buffy reared back at her words, then recovered, glared at Spike over Alice's head, and retreated back to her seat, slumping down like a petulant child.

Alice turned to the vampire, "Stop antagonizing her. She's been taught that no vampires are worth a damn and she's stubborn as hell," She smiled and slapped him on the shoulder, "and I don't want you to get hurt because you're just as stubborn. So play nice!"

Spike heaved a sigh, "fine, I give, but she still started it." He leaned back on the wall.

"Ok, the fact remains that I am the human in question and therefore, it's my choice," Alice continued. She faced Claire, "you're saying that the reason that I've never felt like I belong, that I've always felt like there was something wrong with me, is because I'm supposed to be here?"

"Yes," the demon replied.

"And I won't lose who I am?"

"Absolutely not," she confirmed with a nod of her head.

Alice's head was spinning. She remembered the loneliness that had always just been a fact of life. Over a dozen doctors who had looked at her eyes and said that the pain and headaches she got from the sun didn't have a cause. All the times that she had tried to make friends, only to have them turn away, calling her a freak. _But I'm not a freak_ she thought, _I have a purpose. A reason for who I am. They're the ones who had the problem. They couldn't accept what didn't fit. I am_ not _a freak. I'm just not finished yet._

"Ok, then I want to do it," she said, her voice determined.

Claire smiled at her, "Good choice!"

A chorus of voices rose, and she shouted at them to shut up.

"This is my choice. I've felt uncomfortable in my own skin my entire life. Last night, is the only time I have ever felt safe before, and It's because the vampire that you keep insisting is pure evil was sleeping down the hall. And my question is… If he's pure evil, and I feel safe around him… then what does that say about me?"

The silence stretched for a minute until Spike started to speak, his voice light and joking, "That was beautiful pet. Seriously, I think I'm tearing up over here."

"Oh, shut up dude," Alice said, a smile spreading across her face.

"Ok, then it's settled," Claire said, "Alice wants to turn, it's her choice, and honestly, the sooner the better. Spike? You're up."

"I can't bite. Remember the chip?" he said.

"If your intent is to not hurt, then you can bite," Alice replied. "So, technically, if you have a willing donor, you can drink straight from the tap."

"Brilliant that!" Spike exclaimed, smiling.

Alice faced Claire again with a stormy expression, "Speaking of the damn chip, why did you send me to where he already had it? I'm pretty sure I said 'season four, _before_ everything goes to shit' as in, me warning him about it before they could screw with him!"

"Honey, you're gonna need their help, and that would never happen unless they didn't see him as a threat."

"But it's so freaking _wrong!_ "

"How is protecting humans from a soulless killer wrong?!" Buffy asked.

"He's a _vampire!_ " she spat, "They're a predatory species that happens to need blood in order to survive. Getting pissed at a vampire for doing what a vampire does is like dropping a wolf in a field full of sheep and then getting bitchy cause they took a bite!"

Alice looked around at the other faces that seemed to be frozen in shock and continued, "now, I'm gonna have another cigarette. Then I'm gonna get turned into a vampire. It's my choice, it's what I want. If anyone still has a problem with it, suck. It. Up." She glanced at Spike, his smirk firmly in place but covering happiness and pride at the human standing in front of him who faced down the others on his behalf. It had been over a century since anyone had defended him.

"Wanna come with? The sun's down and they're your coffin nails anyway," she said with a light tease in her voice.

He chuckled, "sure, why not?"

They made their way to the porch and lit up. They stood in silence for a moment before she started to speak, "I don't think there's ever been an episode where the vampire tries to make a bite not hurt. What's that like?"

Spike took a long drag and exhaled, "well, it's gonna be a little trippy."

"What do you mean?"

"When a vampire feeds, there's a natural mental link that tries to form. The reasons the bite hurts is because the vamp in question shuts out the human mind. Link basically distracts the human, and they don't feel the pain. Sortta like feeding a dog a treat so he doesn't mind when you give 'em a shot."

"So it'll… what?... take me on a trip down memory lane?"

The vampire nodded, "pretty much. You'll be able to see mine and I'll be able to see yours. There are times that a vampire can make it sexual but that's only durin' a claim or sex cause it's the only thing on anybody's mind. Should warn you about the memory thing though… mine can get kinda dark. I'd actually be surprised if you wanna stick around after that."

"Well prepare to be surprised cause I know what you've done, and I'm still here."

He tilted his head at her, "You know?" he scoffed, "If you knew the worst, you wouldn't be here, you'd be running for the hills. I've done a sight more than just kill people, love."

She turned to him, folding her arms over her chest and fixing him with a challenging gaze. "Really? Mr. 'it's not worth it if they don't cry'?"

The vampire winced and looked down at the ember at the end of his cigarette, refusing to meet her eyes, "If you heard about that, why aren't you running away or tryin' to dust me?" he said in an even voice.

"Because the past doesn't matter to me, only how you are now. Because when I first saw you on my TV screen, I knew I liked you. I knew you were a vampire, I knew you had killed and probably done a lot worse, and I still thought you were awesome." Her voice softened to a joking tone, "Besides, I've always been a believer in 'give the devil his due'. Everyone deserves to have someone see the good in them."

"Not much good there, pet," he said, but seemed more relaxed, leaning against the railing of the porch, his mouth forming a light smirk.

"You haven't had an excuse to show it yet, but believe me, it's there."

"Apparently not enough for the damn scooby gang."

"Oh screw 'em," she said with a shrug, "they're idiots who think that everything can be put into some happy little mold." She extended her hand with a mischievous smile, "Wanna help me break a few?"

He clasped her hand and gave it a determined shake, turning to go through the door.

Giles was sitting at his table, pouring over a thick book, mumbling to himself. The Slayer was pacing with her arms folded over her chest, and Willow was typing furiously at her computer. Claire was still standing in the middle of the circle, observing them with an amused expression.

"What are they doing?" Alice asked the demon.

"Trying to figure out a way that they can avoid letting you get turned into a vampire. Personally, I think it's adorable, if not frustrating."

"Oh, come on!" Alice said, exasperated, "I can't think of a reason not to do it. I already don't go out in the sun, I don't go to church so I ain't stressin' the crosses, I don't have a family, plus, hello, vamp strength!"

"I know, but they're annoyingly concerned about this."

"Damn it!" said Giles voice from where he sat, "she's right."

"What do you mean, 'she's right'?" Buffy asked, "This prophecy thing is the real deal?"

"I'm afraid so. Once I heard the name 'The First', I knew it was familiar. I came across this a few months ago but it seemed to be too preposterous to be anything more than the mad ramblings of an old seer."

"Well what does it say?" the Slayer asked, motioning for him to hurry up.

"It says

'At the time of vulnerability, The First will seek to descend the world into darkness. The vampire trapped in the human guise shall be made complete by the Slayer's Balance. Together they will bridge the gap between good and evil, being neither themselves. The witch with power, untapped but unrivaled, will unite to balance their immortality with her mortality. Together, they will defeat The First and the world will be returned to its glory.'

There's a bit more but I'll need some time to translate it."

"And for those of us who don't speak ancient gobbledygook?" the Slayer prompted, and Alice swore she could feel her eye twitch.

"It means that Claire was correct. I didn't make anything of it because, in my experience, vampires only want death and destruction."

Spike snorted and rolled his eyes "How quickly they forget that I helped 'em save the soddin' world from getting sucked into hell."

"You did that to save your own skin," Buffy snapped.

"It doesn't matter why he did it, the fact is that he helped you save the world from your crazy ex-honey," Alice snarked back.

"Children!" Giles said loudly, "settle down! The fact still remains that the prophecy looks to be the real deal."

"Well, what about the whole 'Slayer's balance' thing? Spike doesn't 'balance' me."

"Actually, he kinda does," Alice chimed in, and they all turned to her. The room seemed too quiet now that Willow had stopped the click clack of the keyboard to lean forward with an interested expression.

"In what way?" Giles asked, intrigued.

"Well, when you think about it, vampires are _literally_ the top of the food chain. In nature, everything has a natural predator. Vampires didn't until the Slayer line started. The Slayer is the vampire's natural predator, officially makes her top of the food chain, until Spike comes along. While other vamps were running in fear of the Slayer, he went looking for a fight. So ends the food chain. The Slayers hunt him, he hunts the Slayers. Locked in limbo till one of them dies. If he kills a Slayer, another one's called. If a Slayer kills him, I wouldn't be surprised if the Powers That Be bring him back for round two."

"I never thought about it like that," Giles said softly, "That does make sense when you consider that they've never been able to kill each other and they've been able to set aside their differences and work together when needed."

"You're seriously believing this?" Buffy asked.

"Yes I am," Giles replied, "magical forces are derived from nature so it would make sense that the balance found in nature would be found in magic."

The Slayer threw her hands up in defeat, "I give up! You're about to let Spike create a vampire because of a stupid prophecy that may or may not be real, and now you're consulting a stranger that's not even from this world about the order of the universe! Whatever, I'm going home. You know where to find me when this goes screwy." With that she gathered her stuff and walked out, letting the door slam behind her.

"One of the most powerful creatures in the world, and she has a temper tantrum," Claire said, examining her nails, "I don't know how you stand it."

Spike chuckled, "I like you."

Claire laughed and faced Alice, "Ok, I'm gonna get going. I'll be listening so if you need me, just call my name. Have fun." The girl nodded and Claire disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"Ok, so can we do this thing yet?" Alice asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet, with a grin on her face, "I'm bored now that only the people I like are here. There's no one to knock down a peg."

Spike let out a bark of laughter, "Eh, no time like the present, let's go to the guest room, get some privacy," he said. They started down the hall.

"Wait!" Willow called, and rose from her seat, walking toward them. She stood in front of Alice, looking fidgety, "In case we were wrong and you don't come back… well… you," she surged forward and pulled Alice into a tight hug. Alice put her arms around the witch awkwardly and then relaxed into in for a moment before Willow pulled back. "I figured y-you could use one last hug. You know… before you get all fangy."

"Thanks," Alice said with a smile, "that means a lot." They exchange shy smiles before Alice turned back to the vampire and followed him into the room she had slept in the night before. He closed the door and turned to her with a grin, "someone's got a crush on the redhead!" he singsonged.

"Shh!" she hissed back.

He chuckled, "but you don't deny it."

"... shut up," she blushed, "get on with it."

"Ok, but we're talking about this later. And I think you should go for it. Red's so far in the closet, it'll be fun to watch her squirm."

She glared at him but it turned into a smile and then she giggled, "she _is_ ridiculously adorable when she's flustered." She sighed happily, "Alright, let's do this thing."

He stepped closer to her, "Last chance to back out."

"I'm _not_ backing out," she dragged her hair to one side of her head, exposing her neck. His face shifted and he bit down before she had a chance to tense up.

Suddenly, she wasn't just Alice anymore, she was Spike too. She watched as images flew past her, over a century of death, and carnage, and feeling the joy of the hunt. She felt happiness and, despair, and blind fury all at once. She saw a human life, one full of books, and poetry, and a love of knowledge. She saw the moment that everything changed, the desire to be strong, to be the best, a master. She felt the terror of knowing that someone had cut open her head, no… Spike's head… one and the same. She felt the desolation of having your defences stripped, unable to fight back against what you once considered food. Then she felt the chip, lurking in the back of her vampire's head, foreign and wrong. She reached out to it in her mind and felt a shudder run through her.

She knew that the vampire was in her head as well, sifting through her life like a movie on fast forward. He felt her loneliness crushing her, saw the looks in others eyes as they decided that she wasn't quite right and refused to be around her any longer. He saw a little girl who had never been held and comforted. He saw her as she grew, turning the sadness into anger, letting it harden her heart. She stopped liking people, retreating into her books and shows, finding solace in knowledge. He felt the blessed relief of the blonde vampire that somehow made her feel not alone for once in her life.

He heard her heart slow and retracted his fangs, biting his wrist and letting her drink. She drank long and deep and finally she her heart stopped and he could feel the change begin to take hold of her. He lowered her to the bed, arranging her limbs so she looked comfortable. He gave her a light kiss on the forehead and exited the room, letting them know that it was done.


	3. Annoying Broody Boys and UST

A/N:  
There will be slight Willow/OC in this chapter. It's not too explicit but it's an important part of the story so I'm sorry if it's not your thing. Spuffy goodness will begin soon and if you have some tips to work it into the story, please feel free to message me ideas!

Disclaimer: All characters, not of my own creation, are credited to the makers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am not making any money off of this story, simply using it as a creative way to blow off steam and fill my spare time.

* * *

The first thing Alice thought was that someone had set the world on high volume and then gave her hearing aids just to screw with her. Car horns, sirens, the roaring of a plane overhead that sounded like it was ten feet away. She opened one eye and groaned when the smells hit her. She sat up and looked around. It was the middle of the night, the lights off and the blinds pulled tight, but she could see everything in perfect detail. She felt a surge of annoyance and wondered where it came from. She heard Giles and Spike bickering in the kitchen and rose quietly, opening the door and wincing at the light as she made her way to them. They fell silent, staring at her. Spike stepped between her and Giles and she frowned as she felt a wave of concern wash over her.

"How you feelin' pet?" Spike asked.

"My throat feels like the Sahara and there's this really annoying banging, but other than that, I'm fine."

Relief and surprise, _what is up with my emotions?_ she thought.

"And what is that smell?" she asked, her eyes widening, "I don't know what it is, but something smells better than coffee, steak, cigarettes, pretty much anything."

Amusement.

Spike chuckled, "That would be the Watcher here. That's what blood smells like."

"Ok…," she tilted her head, "can I have some? Not his, I like him, but I'm really hungry."

"No problem," he nodded.

Confusion.

"Watcher? Think you can heat her up a snack?"

"Sure," Giles looked wary and bemused as he took a blood bag from the fridge and heated a cup full for her. The microwave beeped and he handed it to Spike who was still standing between her and the Watcher. Spike passed it over and she gulped it greedily.

When the glass was empty, she made a face at it, "Good, but it's not as good as I think it's supposed to be. Almost reminds me of TV dinners," she looked at Spike who was smirking at her, "Is that supposed to happen? I don't have, like, screwy tastebuds or something?"

"No, you're right, bagged isn't as good," the blonde said with a chuckle.

"Oh, ok. Up shot, my throat doesn't hurt anymore. Also, I'm thinking a little faster cause I just realized that I'm feeling your emotions, and I'm pretty sure that banging is Giles' heartbeat."

Shock.

She leaned over and looked at Giles, "has he always glowed like that?"

Spike looked behind him, "What do you mean 'glowed'? He's glowing?"

"Yeah. It's like, I have to concentrate a little, but it's all blue and green with little black flashes."

"Dear lord," said Giles.

"What?" asked the blonde, "what's up with the glowing?"

"She can see auras," he replied, fascinated.

"Ain't exactly a normal vamp power," Spike said, rising an eyebrow.

"She must have had some latent magic before."

Alice was annoyed, "Hello, chick who can see the glowy stuff, still in the room. What the hell is going on?"

"Oh, sorry," Giles said, "An aura is the mystical energy that surrounds everyone. Certain special people can see them, but usually that gift is only possessed by witches. The change must have awoken the magic already inside you."

"Wait," Spike said, "roll back to the part where you can feel my emotions."

"Oh, well I figured it was just because of the Bond. Since I woke up, I've gotten annoyance when you and Giles were arguing, concern when I walked in, I'm assuming you thought I would try to kill him. Then amusement when I was talking about blood, confusion when I decided not to eat him, and shock when I told you I could feel your emotions. That last one has pretty much been constant since then."

"This is fascinating," Giles said, walking around Spike and passed her to get to his books. She inhaled deeply as he passed, letting out a small groan at the smell and feeling Spike's annoyance at the man and fear that she would hurt him.

"Are you bloody insane or just plain stupid Watcher?!" Spike barked at the man.

"What?!" he yelped back, "What did I do?"

Spike clenched his teeth and took a deep breath, "You just walked right past a newborn vampire without a care in the world is what! If she were a normal vamp, you'd be dead, and the Slayer'd be sharpening her stakes cause I let her father figure get eaten!"

"Oh. She seems to be handling it quite well," he went back to his book with a shrug.

Spike ran a hand through his hair, "Whatever, don't even know why I'm tryin' to save him," he turned to Alice, "You're really ok? No urges to sink your teeth into something warm?"

"Well yeah, but I can ignore it. Besides, if he dies, who's gonna read all the boring books cause it sure as hell ain't gonna be me."

Spike nodded at her and she could feel a hint of disbelief coming from him. She tilted her head as the number of what she now recognized as heartbeats increased to three. She sniffed the air, "Slayer's here. And yay! Willow too!" a broad grin spread across her face. The door opened to reveal Buffy, stake in hand, looking wary.

"Hey Buffy, told you everything would work out." Alice said brightly.

The slayer narrowed her eyes, "There's no way that's a vampire, she's all normal."

Spike smirked, "Alice? Show her your game face."

Alice frowned, "how do I do that?" she murmured to him.

He leaned in and dropped his voice to a whisper, "Just think of blood, warm and fresh, full of life. Soaked with adrenaline from the poor sod you're chowin' down on..."

She felt her face shift, her fangs descending and ridges sprouting on her forehead. Buffy's eyes widened, and Alice took a few deep breaths, feeling her face become smooth again.

"See? All good," Spike said, "now, I'm assuming you told Red to wait outside while you made sure the big bad vampire was safe so why don't you let her come on in?"

The Slayer was still on the defensive but she stuck her hand out the door and waved. The redhead walked through the door and Alice sighed happily, her brain filling with lust and contentment. She tried to move toward her and felt a firm hand on her arm, holding her back. Spike moved in front of her and she strained to look around him, not wanting to lose sight of the witch.

"What's going on in that brain love?" he asked.

She sighed again, "can't you see it? She's so beautiful!" Alice said with awe in her voice. "She's all black, and red, and pink. So much power, can't you feel it?" She was still trying to move towards Willow who was blushing and looking shy, but Spike pushed on her shoulders, moving her back until he had her back to the wall.

"Hey. Look at me pet. Focus, and tell me what's going on." He grabbed her chin, making sure she was looking in his eyes, commanding her attention.

"She's so pretty! Powerful and swirly. I wanna keep her. Can I keep her?" she asked, her voice expectant.

"Hey, nobody's 'keeping' my best friend! What the hell is that even supposed to mean?" Buffy asked. Willow made a little squeaking noise.

"Relax Slayer, it's a compliment," Spike growled and then turned his attention back to Alice. "Lesson, the first in being a vampire, you can't claim someone without their permission. Now, stop acting like a love-sick fledgling and focus. Close your eyes, listen to my voice, breathe."

Alice did as she was told, while Spike tried to take advantage bond to send her calming feelings. After a few moments, she nodded that she was ok and he released her slowly. He turned towards Buffy, "should be fine now. Just in case, you and Red sit on that side of the room and we'll sit on this side."

Buffy and Willow perched in the chairs while Spike and Alice took the couch, his hand resting on her arm. The witch looked nervous, Buffy looked wary, and Giles was leaning forward in his seat at the table, staring at them with interest.

"Ok, someone wanna tell me what that whole thing was?" the Slayer asked.

" _That_ is what happens when a vampire's got a thing for a human," Spike said with a smirk.

Buffy snorted, "Vampires can't have a 'thing' for a human."

"Oh really?" Spike said, tilting his head at her, "how do you think we choose who to turn? The demon recognizes a kind of 'kindred spirit' thing. It's not just anyone who makes the cut, you gotta choose someone you can stand being around for eternity. This doesn't seem like a 'turn' thing though. More of a 'mine' thing." He glanced over at Alice who was currently staring at Willow, sitting on her hands to keep from going to her. "Doesn't usually cause the vamp to make moon eyes at the human in question," he said, amused.

"But. D-does that mean that she… you know… _likes me_ likes me?" Willow asked nervously.

"Your voice sounds like sunshine and honey," Alice said wistfully.

Willow made an "eep" noise and blushed.

"That answer your question Red?" Spike asked with a chuckle.

"What's a claim?" Giles chimed in.

"It's kind of a 'back off, she's mine' type deal. Alice bites Willow, takes a couple sips and then Willow bites her and does the same. Claim links them and they'd be able to locate each other, know what the other one's feeling physically, and it lets other vampires know that the human is off limits. "

"I think black means power," Alice said absentmindedly, "Giles only had a little black left over from his Ripper days, but she has so much."

"What is she talking about?" Willow asked.

"Oh yeah. Bite size here can see auras," the vampire said, and Alice could feel a surge of pride through the bond, which made her happy.

"Well, what do the colors mean?" the Slayer asked.

Willow answered her, "Black means power, mystery, and strength. Red is mostly energy and passion. Pink is tenderness, compassion, love, and… um...," she blushed again, "sexuality."

Alice purred and Spike chuckled, amused when Willow stared down at her hands.

"Hey, what's mine look like?" he turned to her excitedly. Alice tore her eyes from the witch to look at him, allowing her vision to go out of focus and catch a glimpse of the colors surrounding him.

"Woah," she said, pulling back slightly to take it all in, "you're like the poster boy for aura ADHD. It's mostly black with a bunch of red and orange going crazy and shooting all over the place like they can't sit still," she squinted a bit, "there's also some white around the edges. But it's moving slow, kinda swirly."

He looked back over to Willow who was staring at him intently, "Well? You speak witch, what's all that about?"

"I expected the red, black, and orange," she glanced at Alice, "white? You sure?"

Alice nodded an affirmative and Willow began to speak, "You know what the black and red means already, orange stands for enthusiasm, creativity, and determination. But the white means light, innocence, goodness. It's really rare, even in a human. Baby's have auras that are pure white because they're perfectly innocent but as they get older, the world wears on them until it just fades away. The fact that he still has white even though he's a vampire? After all he's seen and done? It shouldn't be possible." Her voice had taken on an almost awed quality. Spike just looked confused.

Buffy snapped her fingers in front of the witch's face, "Earth to Willow. He's evil, he can't have a good aura, she's probably lying." Alice felt a surge of anger.

"Oi!" he said loudly, "Me and her are supposed to save the damn world together, so shut it about the evil stuff 'cause it upsets her!" He turned to Alice, "By the way, once your hunger died down a bit, I started locking onto your emotions," he looked at Willow, "you should get a load o' this. Her feelings for you are all… mushy," he gave her a crooked grin then turned serious. "I don't get how there's supposed to be a bunch of goody good stuff in my aura. I haven't been that way in a long time."

"I think there's some William bits left over," Alice said and he shot her a sideways glance, "I mean, when you were human, you were totally innocent. Sweet, kind, caring. Doesn't just go away." They fell silent for a moment, Spike seemed lost in thought and fidgety. Giles was still at the table, giving no indication that he had heard the last ten minutes or so.

Suddenly there was an urgent knock on the door and they all jumped. Giles stood up and walked over to it, picking up the crossbow behind the door.

"Bad guys don't usually knock Watcher," Spike said with a condescending smirk.

Giles scowled at him, "Well, it's the middle of the night, I'm not taking any chances." He opened the door to reveal Angel, his face anxious, "Is everyone ok?" he saw Spike and snarled, pushing into the room, "What are you doing here?!"

Alice jumped to her feet, standing between Angel and Spike. Angel ignored her, trying to push her aside. She grabbed him by the collar and threw him bodily across the room where he hit the wall, cracking the plaster and sliding to the floor, a shocked look on his face. He got back to his feet and started forward again, slightly more hesitant.

"Ok, everybody chill!" Buffy said, standing and making a 'calm down' gesture. She turned to Angel, "What are you doing here?"

"Cordelia had a vision. She saw Spike siring a vampire. She said that they were making the world change around them, like it was in flux or something. Why is he here? He's a monster. And who is she?"

"'She' is the vampire that little miss cheerleader saw Spike siring," Alice said, annoyed and seething. "And who you callin' 'monster'? You've got _absolutely_ no room to talk!"

"Hey!" the Slayer said, "everybody needs to calm down! Angel, they're here for a reason. There's this whole prophecy thing, a new big bad, same old same old. Come on, me and Giles can explain. She took him by the arm and led him into the kitchen with the Watcher trailing behind them."

After they left the room, Alice realized she was growling low in her throat and took a deep breath to calm down. She glanced around and her eyes felt on Willow who was in the corner, trying to make herself look small. "Oh, sweetheart, it's ok," she cooed, the anger at Angel's arrival disappearing. She sweeped over to the girl and Spike looked on warily as she ran a soothing hand down down the side of the witch's face and pulled her into a hug. Willow jumped at first but relaxed into the embrace. Alice led her over to the couch and sat beside her. "Are you ok?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," Willow replied, "I-I know that he's good now, b-but it's still kinda scary seeing him. I don't know how Buffy can stand to be in the same room with him."

"Because she's stupid," Alice replied.

Spike chuckled and in a second it turned into a full on laugh, "did you see the look on his face when you threw him into the wall? Bloody priceless!"

By the time his mirth died down, Alice was grinning ear to ear and Willow let out a giggle.

"But seriously, as much as I don't like him, he's really strong. You shouldn't have been able to throw him like that. what's up pet?" Spike asked her.

"I think we might be sharing more than just emotions," Alice replied. "As soon as he started coming at you, it was like I downloaded a library's worth of martial arts books. It was almost instinctual, probably borrowed the extra strength from you too. Also, to use one of your terms, he's a bloody prat! I was only watching him on a _screen_ and I wanted him dead, I couldn't resist when he was right there in front of me." He grinned at her.

Just then, Angel, Buffy, and Giles walked back in and she felt the witch tense under her hand.

"Hey, get away from Willow you creepy vampire stalker!" the Slayer said.

"Not until your psycho ex leaves town, he's the only one freaking her out anyway."

"He's not a psycho, he has a soul!"

"Oh will you shut up about the soul?! That's not even the part that matters!"

"That's the only part that matters!" Angel growled, "you're new, you don't know what you're talking about!"

"What? Afraid I'll tell the Slayer the truth?" Alice cocked her head to the side, fixing him with a challenging gaze, "If you were paying attention to what they told you, then you know that I've seen you, Darla, Spike, Drusilla, and even Harmony before and after you all vamped out. I got an outsider's perspective and trust me, I know _exactly_ what's up."

"What are you talking about?" Giles asked, confused but eyes alight with curiosity.

"She doesn't _know_ what she's talking about," Angel said almost desperately.

"Angel, please!" said Buffy, "I wanna hear what she has to say."

Angel went to stand against the wall sulking.

"Ok, first of all," Alice began, "demon doesn't just back down when you're all soulful. I still _want_ to go out and turn some poor sap into a fleshy pez dispenser, but I'm not, cause if I hurt someone who didn't deserve it, I'd feel bad. So, _Angel_ still wants to kill, he just feels guilty about it." She let that sink in for a bit. "Second, a soul is not a personality. A personality, who you are, is developed over a lifetime of memories and experiences. The demon just… finds the deepest, darkest parts of yourself, brings them to the surface, and then takes away the guilt." She gestured to Spike, "For example, dear, sweet, kind William. He was harassed, and made fun of, and all he wanted was to become big and strong so that no one could hurt him anymore. The demon just allowed him to do that, then paired it with bloodlust, and made him guilt free. Basically turned him into an alpha male." He gave her a cocky grin. "Don't get excited," she said, "I'm telling it like it is, not stroking your ego."

He slouched back in his seat and folded his arms, the smile still in place.

"Which brings me to Harmony. I mean, think about it and then try to argue. She's so shallow and vapid that there wasn't even anything for the demon to work with."

Both Buffy and Willow snorted at that.

"Then there's _you_ ," she said, turning to Angel, "Mr. 'killing is an art'. The drunken, womanizer, who let yourself be turned because you were horny."

He squirmed under her gaze.

"If we're following my line of reasoning, which we are cause I'm right, deep down… you were still a sadistic bastard."

"Well then how do you explain you?!" he ground out, "You act like a human because you retained your soul."

"No," she said slowly, "I act like a human cause I've never denied who I was. I knew I was different and that there was something a little dark inside me. I've always been angry, always had the urge to fly off the handle and kill someone who pissed me off. I may have fought it, but I've never ignored it or pretended that it wasn't there. Everything I am is out there on display. No secrets from the rest of the world, no secrets from myself, means that the demon can't make me lose control because the deep and dark is already at the surface." She rose to her feet and took a couple steps towards him, staring at him intently. "You really wanna make sure that if you lose that shiny soul of yours, you don't try to destroy the world again? You need to man up and _accept_ it! Because, God help you, after two hundred years, you still refuse to believe that part of that evil is just _you_." He winced. "And, honestly, that's fine. Everyone has a little monster inside them. You, me, Spike, Buffy, Giles, even Willow, as sweet and adorable as she is. But you can't fight what you refuse to see."

Angel swept passed her and out the door, slamming it behind him.

"So," Willow began in a small voice, looking devastated. "Does that m-mean that… the v-vampire me? That was just… me?"

Alice crossed back to the couch and pulled the witch her into her arms, "Hey, there's nothing to be ashamed of sweetheart. It just means that deep down you want to be strong, and confident," she purred playfully, "and sexy as hell."

Willow laughed and leaned into her.

"You just gotta own that part of you. once you do, dealing with it will become second nature."

"You know, I've never seen him speechless," Spike said with awe in his voice, "I got heaps of respect for you now you know?"

Alice chuckled.

"You're saying that Angel and Angelus… they're the same person?" the Slayer asked, sounding somewhat heartbroken.

"I'm saying that he ignored that side of himself so much when he was human that, when he was turned and the demon brought it to the surface, he wasn't used to feeling it and he let himself give in. Then when he got his soul back, he went right back to ignoring it, saying it was all the demon. He lost it, he went crazy, he got it back, he ignored it, and the cycle just keeps going. If he faces it, chances are he'll be able to choose who he wants to be if he ever loses the soul again. He'll still want be a murderous dick… but he can at least fight it."

"I… um… I need some time to process this. Come on Willow, I'll take you home."

"Uh, actually, I kinda wanted to stay for a bit… I have some questions and I wanna do research. Giles can drive me home."

"Oh… ok," she said absentmindedly, and left, not even raising a complaint that she was leaving her friend in the company of two vampires and a human that couldn't really protect her.

"I think I'm finished with the rest of the prophecy," Giles spoke up from across the room, breaking the silence and startling Alice who had forgotten he was there.

She turned to him, "Well, what's it say?" Her, Willow, and Spike walked over, taking seats around the table.

"'With the glory restored, the vampires and their witch shall be gifted with true immortality. Their fates sealed. The three shall remain champions of the world they have sworn to protect. Its white knights in blood-soaked armor.'"

"Sounds delightful. Downright poetic. What's it mean?" Spike asked in a dry voice.

"It means that once this is over, your reward is both good and bad," he began, "good because you'll be invincible. Can't be harmed by sunlight, stakes, holy water. Bad because you'll be around to prevent every apocalypse for all time."

They fell silent, trying to absorb the information.

Spike shook his head, clearing it, "Wait, what about the witch?" he asked. "You've mentioned that twice now. Who's it supposed to be?"

"Willow," Alice said, realization dawning on her face.

"What?! No… not Willow!" the witch said, going pale.

"What makes you think it's her?" Giles asked.

"Think about it. Spike ends up being stuck in this town. I get taken out of this world and end up being obsessed with a show that's all about this town. I get zapped back here and end up being saved by the vamp that I have this bond thing with a second before I'm Kibbles n' Bits. We're smack dab on top of the hellmouth that I know for a fact The First is gonna try to open. And on top of all that, I'm drawn to Willow. Remember what the thing said? 'Untapped but unrivaled'? She doesn't know it yet, but she's quite possibly the most powerful witch in the world."

"No I'm not!" Willow squeaked.

"Honey, you did the spell to get Angel's soul back after you'd only been practicing for a few weeks. A spell that, by the way, took a whole clan of Gypsies to pull off the first time around. Plus, I can see how much power you have, it's practically coming out of your pores, your whole aura is vibrating with it."

Willow just looked shocked.

Alice looked at Spike, letting him feel the need to be alone with the witch, the desire to reassure her.

"Watcher," he said, getting the man's attention. "Come with me while I smoke, Bite Sized needs to talk to the witch."

He fished the pack out of his pocket, pulling one out as Giles stood and began walking towards the door.

"Three feet on the floor you two," Spike said with a smirk as he followed the Watcher out onto the porch, closing the door behind him.

Willow was blushing furiously as Alice took hold of her hands and looked into her eyes, "hey, if you _are_ the witch in the prophecy, you don't have to be scared. All I want is to keep you safe. Whatever this weird thing I'm feeling is, I know that my first priority is making sure you're ok."

The witch looked relieved as some of the tension left her body. Alice felt a surge of heat go through her body.

"Of course my second priority is kissing you until we're both gasping for breath and can't remember our names," she said, her lips twitching into a lopsided smile.

"Vampires don't… need to breathe," Willow said, her voice lowering as she leaned toward Alice unconsciously, almost trance-like.

"Maybe so. But every time you're near me, I feel like I'm drowning in you," Alice said, her words coming out in a lusty growl as she couldn't restrain herself anymore. "Your voice," she lowered her head to Willow's shoulder. "Your smell," she moved over her collarbone, inhaling deeply. "How _amazing_ I know you'll taste," she dragged her tongue lightly across the girl's neck, stopping to suck gently at her pulse point as a small moan clawed it's way out of the witch's throat. Alice moved her head up and captured the girl's lips with hers, teasing them open so she could sweep her tongue inside, letting out a groan when she felt Willows hands tangle in her hair, holding them together. She slid her hands up Willow's arms to the sides of her face and then back down to her shoulders, standing them up, their lips still connected. She backed them up until the witch's back was to the wall, their bodies flush against each other.

Alice was in heaven, her vampire senses amplifying every sound that the other made and the scent of her arousal. She slid a knee between the witch's legs and was rewarded with a breathy moan, adding to the symphony of sounds already coming from her.

"Ahem," came an amused voice from behind her, and Alice was yanked out of her lust induced haze with a groan of annoyance.

"Oh my god!" Willow yelped and started to push against Alice. She debated just telling the smirking vampire to get lost but she figured that her witch wouldn't appreciate it and finally moved off of her. Giles was standing in the doorway, his mouth hanging open. Willow moved around the room frantically, gathering her stuff, her face redder than her hair.

"I-I'm just g-gonna… go… um Giles? C-can you give me a ride home?" He nodded, moving aside to let her pass. She spun around, "I-I guess I'll… see you tomorrow… G-good night" she stammered out and swept out of the door into the dark.

Giles gave a disbelieving shake of his head and followed after her, shutting the door behind him.

Alice shot Spike a glare, "I hate you, you know that right?"

"Hey I told you three feet on the floor, not my fault you can't control your hormones love," he said with a chuckle.

"Technically, all four feet were on the floor," she shot back and then let out a frustrated groan, "what the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Two words love, cold. Shower," he told her, grinning. "Take a one and be patient for tomorrow when you can probably get her somewhere that there's not a forty something father figure and a hundred and twenty year old vampire to cramp your style."

She grimaced at the thought of having to wait that long, "Fine. I'm gonna go to bed and sulk. If Giles tries to make you sleep in the bathtub, don't let him. Saviors of the world at least deserve to sleep on the couch." She turned to go down the hall to her room, climbing into bed, pulling the covers up to her neck and letting thoughts of the redhead invade her mind as she drifted of to sleep.


	4. The Plot Thickens

A/N:  
Small Willow/OC lemon in this chapter because I think it's necessary, but I'm pretty sure it won't ever get _really_ explicit cause I've never written stuff like that and it's a little awkward.

Disclaimer: All characters, not of my own creation, are credited to the makers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am not making any money off of this story, simply using it as a creative way to blow off steam and fill my spare time.

* * *

Alice groaned in her sleep, rolling over, coming into contact with a hard body, and knowing before she opened her eyes that it was Spike.

"Not that I don't appreciate the added pillow but unless you're soft, warm, red headed, and feisty, I don't want you in my bed," she mumbled, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Ouch," he chuckled, "so rude to the guy bringing breakfast."

She finally peeled her eyelids open and saw the steaming mug on the side table, "Ok, you're forgiven," she said, dragging herself out of bed. She picked up the cup and walked into the living room with the vampire trailing behind her. She saw the whole group there, including Xander, which annoyed her. _Don't they ever take the night off? And why do they all look so stressed?_

"Ah good, you're up, we need to talk to you," Giles began and she held up a hand, cutting him off. She shuffled into the kitchen, sleepily and opened the cupboards, letting out a small crow of victory when she came up with a five hour energy. She walked back to them and sat down at the table, pouring the shot into her cup as Spike tried not to laugh. She gulped down the concoction and smiled at the other vampire gratefully when he handed her a cigarette. She took a deep drag and sighed, looking at the Watcher, "Ok, now you may speak."

"That was just gross!" Xander said and she felt the rising urge to hit him.

"One stop shopping dude, it's called being an innovator," she replied in a snarky tone and Spike let out a bark of laughter.

She stretched and saw Willow staring at her so she arched her back and rolled her shoulders, earning a blush. She turned to Giles, feeling pleased with herself, "so, what did you want?"

"Well, the more we think about it and cross reference with the prophecy, the more convinced we are that the witch you need to join forces with is Willow."

"Told ya," she said with a smug smile.

"Yes well, anyway," he cleared his throat, "ever since we came to that conclusion, Spike has been pushing the idea of the um… 'claiming ritual' as a means to protect Willow should anything happen."

"Really?!" she asked brightly, a smile stretching over her face as she locked eyes with the witch.

"Not so fast, I still don't think it's a good idea! What if you lose control and hurt her?!" the Slayer said.

"Oh my god, you are such a buzz kill!" Alice said, annoyed, "look, the _last_ thing I want to do is hurt her. Actually, not even the last thing. It doesn't even make the list. And personally, I think it's a testament to my self control that I haven't smashed Xander's face in even though he's been pissing me off ever since I got here. And you know why I haven't done that yet? Because I like Willow and it would hurt her feelings."

"Hey what did I do?!" Xander yelped.

"Your voice is annoying, you're way too judgy, and you had a thing for her awhile back. Makes a girl feel jealous." She heard Spike snicker and took another drag as the boy fell silent. Her eyes automatically found the witch and she was happy to see her looking back like there wasn't anything else in the world except for them.

"I don't think you should do it Will," Buffy said.

"Not really up to you Slayer," Spike said, his gaze traveling between Alice and Willow, "See that? How they can't take their eyes off each other?"

Several heads swung their way but neither one paid them any attention.

"That one-sided moony eyed thing that Alice was doing yesterday was what happens when a vampire sees someone they want to claim. The fact that they both can't stop starin' at each other now means one thing. The human wants to be claim and be claimed as well." He was grinning, "'Sides, it can be dead useful. They'd be able to find each other, tell if the other was in pain, and no other vampire would dare to bite her."

"Why not?" Giles asked, intrigued.

"Vampires are territorial," Spike said with a shrug. "Kill a human that belongs to another, and your life is basically forfeit. Doesn't happen very often so we're really serious about it."

Alice stopped listening after she heard that Willow wanted the bond as well. Alice rose to her feet and crossed to the witch, almost on autopilot, reaching down to pull her to her feet.

"Really?" she asked in a hushed tone, her voice filled with hope.

Willow nodded and her heart jumped with joy. She started to pull the witch towards her room.

"Hey, we're not done talking about this!" Buffy said, yanking them back to the present.

"Look Slayer," Spike began, sounding annoyed. "It's too late. If you wanted them to not do it, you'd have to tie both of them up on opposite sides of town for the rest of their lives. Just let 'em do it. Besides you live on the Hellmouth, if you're worried about the witch's safety, this is as safe as you're gonna get."

Buffy looked between Alice and Willow, who had gone right back to staring at each other and slumpt her shoulders in defeat, "Fine. If you're sure this is what you want Will?"

The redhead nodded and Alice led her down the hall, the door swinging shut behind them.

"Maybe I should follow so I can make sure that Willow's safe?" the Slayer asked.

"Trust me, you don't want that," Spike said.

"What? Why?!" Xander yelped, and the vampire had to take a deep, unnecessary breath.

"Because claiming rituals are kinda… personal."

The Slayer shot him a sharp look, "What do you mean 'personal'?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, " _Personal,_ " he said, stressing every syllable and smirked at her, adding a small hip thrust for good measure.

She was speechless for a moment, "B-but, Willow's not gay."

Spike rolled his eyes, "She can't even be in the same _room_ with Alice without blushing brighter than her hair."

They fell silent as they soaked in this information and tried not to think about what was going on in the other room.

Alice closed the door behind them and turned to face the witch, suddenly nervous. "You're sure about this right? Cause I don't want you to do anything you're not sure about. I mean, I'm gonna have to bite you. I don't want you to freak out when it happens."

"It may seem weird but I don't think I've ever felt more sure about anything in my entire life," Willow answered in a quiet voice. "Usually my emotions are about as clear as string theory to a third grader, but… now I'm crystal clear. And for some odd reason, ever since you turned, I've kanda… um… wanted you to bite me. I don't know why, it just… seems like a good idea?"

"That's all I wanted to know," Alice said, eyes darkening with desire as she pressed their lips together. They moved slowly at first before a sense of urgency came over them. Alice moved them back until Willow's knees hit the bed and she gently pushed the witch down. Willow scooted to the center and watched as the vampire crawled on top of her, nudging her legs apart so she could lie between them. Alice lowered her head to Willow's throat, inhaling deeply as she smelled her blood pulsing beneath her skin. Willow pushed back for a second, and Alice sat back in confusion and lust as the witch sat up and stripped her shirt off.

Willow looked at her shyly, "You know… just… don't wanna get blood on my shirt. Y-you should probably take yours off too. Cause of the blood."

Alice purred in contentment as she felt Willow's hands skimming up her sides as she removed her top. The vampire laid them down again, pressing their bodies flush together. She restarted the kiss, sweeping her tongue into Willow's mouth and rolled her hips against the witch, earning a needy whimper. She smiled into the kiss and nipped her way down Willow's jawline. When she got to the witch's neck, the demon inside her let out a possessive growl and she felt her face shift. Willow felt the change and knew what was coming, "Do it!" she gasped out, arching her back, "please!" Alice trailed her tongue over the place that she was going to bite, sucking till the blood rushing to the surface was too much to handle, "Mine!" she growled out, and sank her fangs into the smooth, pale skin.

"Yours!" Willow moaned back and their hips began to buck frantically, the heat building faster and faster. Willow's nails raked down Alice's back and she hissed in pleasure as she withdrew her fangs. The witch groaned at the loss, trying to drag her back. Alice chuckled, "It's your turn sweetness," she said, her face shifting back to human, her voice thick with lust, enjoying the breathy moans that Willow couldn't seem to stop making as she rocked their hips faster. "Mine!" the witch said, turning her head into the vampire's neck and biting down hard, blood filling her mouth. She expected it to taste gross and coppery, but it was sweet, carrying the promise of love, and friendship, and life.

"Yours!" Alice gasped, feeling like she might combust from the rush of heat. "Always yours!" With her words, something clicked. They felt like they merged together, two drops of water into one. They could feel their own pleasure and each other's, magnified back and forth over the bond, rising like a tidal wave until they came together, so hard they thought they might pass out. Alice collapsed on top of the witch then rolled off to the side after a moment, pulling Willow to her chest.

"Wow!" the witch exclaimed, "I mean I've had sex before, but… wow! We didn't even get all the way naked this time."

Alice felt a pur start deep in her chest, "'this time'?"

"Oh yeah," Willow said, stretching contentedly. "If that's what can happen with just this level of touching, I definitely wanna see how far we can take this."

"Totally," Alice said with a grin, running her hands down Willow's side and scraping her nails lightly across the witch's skin, "we might burst into flames, but what a way to go!"

Willow laughed and the vampire wondered how a laugh could sound so musical.

"While I'd love to stay here and see how high I could make you go," Alice growled lowly, sending shivers through Willow's body. "I can hear your friends out there, getting worried that I killed you. Wanna go out there and prove them wrong?"

"Not particularly. I feel all boneless and happy. But I guess you're right. I don't want them to bust in here when I'm all half naked."

Willow swung her feet over the side of the bed and reached for her shirt, pulling it on. Alice sat up behind her so that the redhead was settled between her thighs, her arms wrapped around her. "How about you stay here tonight?" she asked in a seductive tone, her fingers trailing up underneath Willow's shirt to stroke the tops of her breasts, "I can talk you into getting _way_ more than half naked."

Willow shuddered, leaning back into her "I think you just did."

Alice grinned happily and pulled away, her grin widening when she heard the witch mewl in displeasure. She pulled her shirt on and they both rose to their feet, Alice holding open the door for her. Willow gave her a sweet smile and laced their fingers together as they walked into the living room. Everyone had their heads pressed together, whispering fervently, except for Spike who was grinning.

"What's up?" Alice asked innocently, and five heads swiveled towards them. Anya and Giles looked relieved, Xander seemed like he was going to be sick, and Buffy regarded them with a shrewd glance until she determined that her friend was ok. Spike leered at them openly, "What's up is me, cause you two are… vocal." Alice grinned and Willow blushed a deep scarlet as she was pulled into the vampire's arms.

"Cuddling with the evil undead? What's next, killing my best friend in her sleep?" Xander said under his breath, too low for anyone without vamp hearing to know what he said.

"Hey!" Alice snarled loudly, "I heard that!" Xander jumped and she felt pleased that he was scared of her. "I'm only gonna say this once, so listen up _boy_! One, I am not evil, I am simply neutral and trust me, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead. Two, you should be nicer to me since the only reason you _ain't_ dead yet is because it would hurt Willow. Three, I think it's only fair to warn you that I can practically _taste_ the disgust coming off of you and if you ever say or do _anything_ to hurt Willow, I will declare open season on Xander so fast, you won't even get a chance to feel sorry." She had crossed to where he was sitting and was looming over him as he shrank back, cowering, "Got it?" she asked, still snarling. He nodded frantically and she smiled, "Good… glad that's settled." She walked back over to Willow, pulling the witch into her arms. Everyone seemed shocked by her outburst except Spike who was trying and failing to control his laughter.

"Bloody hell pet, if this is you _with_ a soul, I'd like to see you without one! You'd be _magnificent!_ "

"Thank you… I think." Xander shot her a dirty look and Alice smirked at him, vamping out and bending down to nibble at Willow's neck still staring at him.

He spluttered, "Willow! Do you even know what she's doing?!"

"Well, yeah. You know she's just trying to screw with you right?"

Willow reached behind her and gave Alice a sharp pop on the back of the head, "Behave."

"Oh, come on babe, he's so fun to play with," she replied, shifting back after giving her a pout that looked really weird on a vampire face.

"Oh my God!" the Slayer yelped, "She's the female version of Spike! There's two Spikes!" she collapsed into a chair, "This sucks!"

Xander opened his mouth to reply, but got cut off by a sharp knock on the door.

"Ok, that's enough posturing children," Giles said as he went to open it, flinching when he saw Angel standing outside, looking like he didn't want to be there. _Well that makes two of us_ Alice thought dryly.

"What do you want Angel?" Giles asked.

"I came to see Alice," he started, taking a step inside. Alice tensed, relaxing when Willow leaned into her and reached back to lightly squeeze her hip. Angel seemed confused at the scene before him but continued, "I've been thinking about what you said yesterday and… I think I need your help."

"Oh look," she said to Willow, "he's wearing his 'kicked puppy number eight' look." Spike snorted.

"Help with what?" she asked him innocently, wanting him to say the words.

"You were right ok?!" he ground out. "About everything. But I can't deal with it on my own so… I need your help."

"Ok, glad you finally admitted it. Slight problem… I don't like you."

"Oh come on," Willow said, twisting around in her arms. "Do it for me? I'd feel a lot safer if I knew he might be less dangerous if he ever… you know… lost the soul again. Plus you need to get out of the apartment for a bit, before you go stir crazy… please?" She finished, drawing out the last word. She was playing dirty, making sure their bodies were pressed together, flipping her hair to the side so that her bite mark was exposed. Her lower lip pushing into a pout was the last straw.

"God, you don't fight fair sweets!" Alice said, resting their foreheads together and firm kiss to her lips. "Fine, I'll do it! But the next time you pout like that, I'm not letting you leave the bed for a week," she said in a playful tone. They broke apart and she turned to Angel who was gaping at them. "Come on. Control 101 starts now. Spike, you too." She started to move toward the door.

"Why does he have to go?!" Angel asked, incredulously.

"Yeah, why do I have to go? I hate him more than you do!"

"Because I want backup. I know that this works on me, but I don't know how a vamp will respond to it."

"Then I'm going too," Buffy piped up from her seat.

"So glad that you got over your shock Slayer but no," Alice said.

"Why not?" Buffy asked, defiantly.

"Because your blood is like vampire bait," she replied, flatly. "I'm trying to teach him control, and you're the equivalent of dangling a steak in front of a man who's been living on bread and water for three years."

Angel shifted uncomfortably and addressed the Slayer, "She's… kinda got a point."

Alice clapped her hands together, "Ok, now that we've settled that, let's go." She headed while Spike and Angel exchanged glares and followed.

She led them outside the courtyard, walking down the street a ways, and coming to a stop, turning to Angel. "Ok… your problem, is that you think there's only two sides to you, Angel and Angelus. In reality, there's three." She raised a hand, lifting her fingers as she counted them off, "There's whatever's left over from human Liam, there's Angelus, and there's Angel. _Angel_ has slapped a leash on Angelus and flat out ignored Liam. So both of them are just coolin' their heels in the back of your mind waiting for you to lose control. And by the time they gets free, they're _royally_ pissed. I mean, when you didn't have a soul, you were content with straight up twisted death. Restraining those parts of you is what made you flip shit and try to destroy the world when you lost the soul the first time. You need to stop denying that they're a part of you, soul or not, and then you gotta find a safe way to let them out to play every once in awhile. If you don't, they'll just get more and more pissed until they get their shot, and then the whole world will be in danger again."

"So now you're telling me that I've got two monsters to deal with?" Angel asked angrily.

"No, you've got _you_ to deal with. All three parts make up who you are, and putting a lid on two-thirds of that isn't healthy."

"Ok, we've established that he has issues, why am I here?" Spike asked irritably.

"For the next step in the process," she said, turning to him. "It's gonna make him uncomfortable. I figured you might wanna watch him squirm."

"Hello," Angel cut in, annoyed, "What's the next step?"

"Hunting," she said, gleefully.

He looked at her like she was crazy, "What?!"

"Chill big guy, we're not gonna kill anyone, it's just an exercise." She rolled her eyes and continued, "How it works, is you pick someone that you _want_ to kill. You pick 'em, and then you follow, and you think of all the things you want to do to 'em. You plan it, every detail. Hell, you can even write it down if you want to, but you don't get to the actual killing part."

"You want me to hunt someone? You're serious?"

She turned to Spike, "Told you he wouldn't like it." She addressed Angel again, "Yes, broody boy, I want you to hunt someone. Look, I've wanted to kill since I was around nine years old, and this is what I do. Your way includes either going completely off the rails, or pig's blood and self flagellation. This little experiment is to teach you how to _approach_ the edge, without falling _over_ it. So… pick someone. Make it female 'cause those are more fun." She gestured down the road.

He growled in annoyance.

"Stop flirting… go," she pointed toward main street.

He spun around and walked down the street, muttering to himself about 'bossy fledges' as they followed a few steps behind. Spike looked amused as he leaned in and dropped his voice.

"This really gonna work?" he asked.

"That's why you're here. I know it always worked on me but I was human, I didn't have a psycho by vampire standards lurking in the back of my head. The goal is to indulge in the fantasy. If he lets his demon rise to the surface a little bit, it should take some of the edge off."

They had come to a busy area, so she sped up a little to fall into step next to him.

She glanced around, "So, what are we looking at?" she asked eagerly. "There's the brunette coming out of the supermarket. Asian chick in the coffee shop? She's cute."

She saw a woman walking down the street and an idea struck her. She put a hand on Angel's arm and turned him to face the woman. "How about the blonde?" she began. "Athletically built, but curvy in all the right places. Walking down the road without a care in the world. So damn perky. Remind you of anyone?"

He had been staring but jerked his eyes away, "This is stupid!"

"Well well, looks like we struck a nerve," she said with a smile. She noticed that the woman was moving away from the crowds and she started following a ways behind her, guiding Angel along. Spike fell into step behind them, and she could feel his wariness through the bond. She lowered her voice enticingly. "Now, I know your style, but I have zero patience for the all out fear campaign."

"Patience is a virtue," he said in a distracted tone, his eyes locked on the woman.

"Well yeah, but you haven't had anything warm and human in what, a year and a half? I wouldn't be able to wait. Couldn't wait to feel the life leave her body as it flowed down my throat. Hear her heart pound against her ribcage like a race horse until it finally slowed to a stop. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

He nodded and his steps quickened, taking him closer to the woman than Alice liked. She put a firm hand on his arm, "Remember that edge I was talking about? Back away from it, now." She said in an authoritative tone. He ignored her and brushed her off.

"Spike," she said, and he advanced on them, grabbing Angel's arms and pulling them behind his back, dragging him down an alley that was to their right. Alice faced him and realized that his face had shifted. She snapped her fingers in front of his face, "Hey! Focus!"

He snarled, snapping at her, and she slapped him on the side of the head, "Don't give me that shit, calm down!"

He took a breath and changed back to his human face that immediately filled with shame as he looked down at the ground. She nodded at Spike and he let go. Angel refused to meet her eyes and she sighed, "Remind me to work on your guilt issues next time."

He snapped his head up, "Next time?! I almost killed her! I lost control!"

"No, losing control would have meant you _actually_ killed her. Believe it or don't, but this was a good first try. The whole point was to prove to yourself that you could have the desire and not act on it. Considering she's still alive, I'm gonna call that a win."

Spike chuckled around the cigarette he had in his mouth, "I made a _weird_ vampire."

She gave him a crooked grin, "Dude, I was sired by one of the most notorious vampires in history and I just got one of the _other_ most notorious vampires in history to back off a hunt. I think I'm awesome."

Angel let out an involuntary snort and the other two looked at him in shock for a moment before Alice pumped a fist in the air. "I got Tall, Dark, and Broody to laugh, I am officially declaring myself queen of Sunnydale!" Spike chuckled at her antics as she did a victory dance and was surprised when he saw that Angel was still sporting a small smiling. He leaned over, "Impossible to hate her innit?"

"Yeah… I have no clue why, but… yeah."

She stopped and faced them with a smirk, "Ok, we'll try again tomorrow but for now, here endeth the lesson. Let's head back."

They walked a couple more blocks before she stopped short, her eyes narrowed and fixed on three men across the street. She turned to Spike with a mischievous look on her face. "Wanna have some fun?" she nodded to the group, " _Hostile 17._ "

His eyes widened, "Them?"

She nodded, "The guy in the middle? The one that looks _way_ too wholesome? His name's Riley Finn."

"They're human, you can't kill them," Angel said with a stern look.

"Don't be such a buzz kill, I'm not gonna hurt 'em… just gonna screw with their heads a bit. Besides…," she gave him a sly smile, "Buffy's been drooling over him for a few weeks."

His face darkened, "What did you have in mind?"

"Just gonna talk to 'em, but when I vamp out, so do you. Till then, stand behind me and look menacing." They glared at her and she patted them on the shoulders with an excited grin, "Yeah, just like that!" She spun around and walked over to the group, standing square in front of Riley. The men came to a stop. They were wearing T-shirts and jeans. _Off duty then. They won't be carrying a bunch of weapons._

"Can I help you ma'am?" Riley asked, regarding the vampires behind her with a wary look.

She tilted her head, "The civvies fool no one, I know who you are." she said in an even tone.

"Pardon me?" He replied with a tight smile.

"Voices whisper of tin soldiers, all in a row. Chips all around, yet nobody knows."

The smile faded from his face and the other two glanced at each other.

She laughed, low and menacing, "Show some _initiative_ boys. 314 has a nasty present for you but you must hurry before it's finished and makes the world sad. The good doctor plays God and she _won't_ end well."

"Who are you? What do you know?" one of the others, _Graham?,_ asked.

"Me?" She let her face shift and grinned inwardly when they realized that they were standing in front of three vamps, "I'm a concerned citizen." She said, smiling softly.

Riley reacted instantly, drawing a stake from the back of his waistband and lunging at her. She avoided him easily, stepping to the side and grabbing his wrist, twisting it up behind him. _So glad I'm tall,_ she thought. She had him spun around facing the other two who had been restrained by Angel and Spike. His back was to her front, her arm like a vise over his chest. He was fighting her, trying to break her grasp.

"Oooh, keep struggling Action Man. It tickles me in _all_ the right places," she purred.

He went still, a look of disgust on his face, "What do you want?" he spat out.

She made a small cut on his neck with her fang and licked up the blood that ran out.

"Mmm… cornfed Iowa boy. Comfort food if not for the chemicals they sneak into your system."

She looked at the others, "You trust the good doctor, but she betrays. Bits of human, bits of demon, bits of machine that should never mix." She turned her head to whisper in the boy's ear, "Run home _Riley_. I'll see you soon." She pushed him away and motioned for the other two to be released. Riley was white as a sheet and he stood frozen for a moment, staring at her, until the others grabbed him and dragged him away. She waited until they were out of sight before letting out a whoop of laughter. "This day just keeps getting better! … What?" She had turned around and Spike was looking at her in shock.

"The bloody chip's gone!" he shouted. Angel backed up a couple steps, taking a defencive stance.

Alice rolled her eyes, "Chill, Angel, he doesn't need it."

"That's the only thing keeping him from killing!"

"Dude, I can feel what he feels. Other than some vague blood cravings and dislike towards certain people, there's no _really_ malicious intent. He's not gonna go on a murder spree, so calm the fuck down!"

"Uh… I for one would like to know what the bloody hell is goin' on here!" Spike said as Angel stared at him cautiously.

"Well I have a theory, but I didn't want to tell you about it in front of the Scoobies. This is the first time we've been out of the apartment."

"And the theory is?" he motioned for to get to the point with eyes wide.

"You know how, to not activate it you had to let me into your mind when you turned me?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, well there I was in Spikesville, and I could feel the chip lurking back there. I kind of reached out to touch it and I think I might've confused the thing."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked. He had relaxed and was staring at her curiously.

"The chip is supposed to react to the intention to hurt someone. Scientifically speaking, everyone has their own specific brain waves and the chip had to have been tuned to his specific signature. I think when I was inside his head, I accidentally forced it to pick up on mine as well. It must've gotten it's signals crossed and shorted out."

"Son of a bitch," Spike said, smiling. "Don't know if I should be happy, concerned, or terrified of what the Slayer's gonna do when she finds out."

She turned to Angel, eyes wide. "I'm helping, you owe me. You've gotta back us up when all this comes out."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, "He's really supposed to help save the world?"

"Yep."

"And he doesn't want to hurt anyone?"

"Well, he'll still wants to, but he's not some mindless monster. He has a choice and he's _choosing_ not to hurt anyone."

He nodded, "Fine. But he's _your_ responsibility. If he goes on a rampage, I'm coming after him, then you."

"I would expect nothing less."

They nodded at each other and shook hands. She grinned, " Now that the tense moment is over, I just remembered that I asked Willow to stay over and I think that would be the perfect end to a perfect night."

"I'm still surprised that Buffy let you claim her best friend," Angel said, shaking his head in disbelief as she led them back down the route to Giles' place.

"Well she couldn't really _let_ her do anything," Spike said, "they could barely keep their hands off each other. I walked in on 'em snogging and almost had to take a cold shower." He leered at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Wait," she said, "only 'almost'? Hm… guess I'm gonna have to try harder." She gave him a smug grin.

"How'd you sound so much like Drusilla?" Angel asked after a moment of silence, "and _why_?"

"Yeah, I was wonderin' that too pet. Was damn eerie."

"Well, as you two know, In the other dimension, this is TV land. I've watch the last three years, and the next four, more times than I care to admit." She shrugged, "You watch enough of Dru's scenes, you pick up a few things. As far as why," She glanced at Spike, "When you first heard my story, what did you think?"

"Thought you were stark ravin' mad."

"Exactly. You tell someone outright that their boss, who they thrust with their life, has dastardly plans, they won't believe a word you say. However, you drop some vague hints along with knowledge you shouldn't have, and they'll start picking at the wool over their eyes until the whole damn thing unravels." Spike nodded his approval.

"And I can see that you guys are full of questions about what I was talking about, but it's been a long night and I have a nice, warm witch waiting on me so, I'll tell everyone about it tomorrow."

They had arrived back at Giles' and Angel turned to skulk off into the night.

"You know, after a couple more lessons, and I work on his guilt thing… he might not be so bad." Alice said.

"I'm thinking you may be right," Spike replied, shock in his voice.


End file.
